Investigating EFL learners’ strategic sub-competence and instrumental sub-competence: implications for translation pedagogy

Translation has been taught in Thailand for a number of years as part of the requirements of English degree programs. In addition to English competency, translation competence (TC) is another essential element that undergraduates with degrees in English should acquire and develop before graduation. Defined broadly as the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish translation tasks, TC consists of various sub-competences, including strategic and instrumental sub-competences that are unique to the translation profession. Following PACTE’s TC model and research design, this experimental study aimed to investigate specifically EFL learners’ strategic and instrumental sub-competences in direct translation and inverse translation during their time in the degree programs. To this end, data was collected from 31 EFL volunteer students who had completed the English-Thai and Thai-English translation courses before they participated in a translation experiment in which they translated an informative English text and an informative Thai text. Adopting the mixed-method approach, this study employed various instruments, including the Camtasia screen recording program, a pre-translation questionnaire, a post-translation questionnaire, direct observation, and interviews, to collect data and allow for data triangulation for improved validity of research and results. The results of the study indicated that EFL learners, who are novice translators, demonstrated the pre-translation competence of strategic and instrumental sub-competences, and there were clear differences between direct translation and inverse translation. However, to acquire the TC level as professional translators, specific areas of EFL learners’ strategic and instrumental sub-competences need improvement, including strategies used in the translation process, the use of translation resources, editing and revising skills, bilingual sub-competence, and psycho-physiological components. Finally, this study suggested the inclusion of the TC-based approach in translation teaching and curricula for the systematic development of novice translators’ knowledge and skills needed for the translation industry.